Ohio EPA director speaks

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Nally said his decision to seek the
resignation of his former water chief, George Elmaraghy, was made related to stalled regulations
and that it had nothing to do with Gov. John Kasich.

In an
Aug. 19 email to his staff, Elmaraghy wrote that Nally and Kasich asked that he
resign due to pressure from coal companies that were demanding permits that might violate the
federal Clean Water Act. Elmaraghy's last day was Sept. 13 and he has launched a legal challenge toget his job back.

"It was a strategic change," Nally said. "I make these kinds of decisions all the time."

Nally said the issue stemmed from an inability of the agency to advance and enact regulations,
some of which have been mired in the proposal process for years. He said a "prime example" was a
package of rules that would have revised how the state oversees efforts to protect, repair and
replace streams and wetlands destroyed by new developments, roads and coal mines.

Industrial lobbies, including those representing homebuilders, have complained that the rules
would be too expensive.

Emails and correspondence obtained by
The Dispatch showed the EPA and the governor's office were involved in lengthy discussions
over water pollution limits
for coal companies demanded by the U.S. EPA, and how to draft pollution permits
for three companies. None of the emails or correspondence specifically called for Elmaraghy to
resign.